This rumour would come as a bit of a surprise as the Raptors are considered to be sellers at this point given the Gay trade and the Kyle Lowry trade rumours. Acquiring Deng would not be a step forward in the tanking direction, but might make some sense from an asset acquisition point of view if they were looking to acquire Deng on the cheap. Giving up long term pieces for Deng isn’t a good idea as he is in the final year of his deal and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

The most logical trade between the two teams could be something surrounding Lowry and Deng. The Bulls have a huge hole at the point guard position ever since Derrick Rose tore the medial meniscus in his right knee, sidelining him for the rest of the season. Lowry would help fill that void and might be a great fit in the Bulls system under head coachTom Thibodeau, but it is unclear if they would be interested in him.

Lowry has been playing very well as of late. He is averaging almost 18 points (44% field goal percentage), eight assists and four rebounds in the past 10 games.

This trade cannot be completed until February 10 when Salmons can be packaged with another player.

The Bulls also have two first round selections at the 2014 NBA Draft: their own and the Charlotte Bobcats pick (protected 1-10). If the Bulls opt to keep Deng and are interested in Lowry, then Lowry for Kirk Hinrich, Marcus Teague and one of those two firsts would work under the trade rules.

This trade helps the Raptors lose more games and the Bulls win more games.

That trade would help the Bulls remain competitive and will surely guarantee them a playoff appearance in the weak Eastern Conference. For the Raptors, it brings them closer to a high lottery pick and a potential shot at Andrew Wiggins.